The Red Moon Mission
by KagekenYomi
Summary: If all the Akatsuki are dead, well then, who are these people that keep showing up in these black cloaks with red clouds? And just how many are there? They outnumber the original akatsuki, but can the all genin team of kakashi defeat them all?Read2FindOut
1. Chapter 1

Black Clouds

"Are they back yet?" Shizune asked, eager to find out the results.

"No." Tsunade replied curtly. She knew Shizune was dying to find out. So was she. But for now, she settled for holding it in. For now, she settled for trying to stay calm. Please, don't let it happen. Please, oh please don't let it happen. She couldn't imagine what would occur if it took place. She didn't know what she would do. What she would tell Konoha to do, if the time ever came.

In the corner of her eye, she could see Shinzune biting her lower lip. Her trusty pet boar, Ton-ton was squealing in her arms. Its eyes showed the same worry and depression Shizune's eyes showed.

Tsunade sighed. Please let it be alright…

Please…

Don't let it happen…

A loud knock interrupted her thoughts.

Tsunade tilted her head up as she lost her thoughts. "Come in," she managed to choke out. Please. Please let the results be good.

The door opened with a loud creak. A tall, thin ANBU member walked into the dimly lit room. His mask unrevealing his true identity.

"So… do you have… results?" Tsunade asked, trying to keep her voice still. She could see Shizune feeling small shivers, her eyes locked on the floor in deep thought.

"We're afraid that…" the ANBU member didn't look into Hokage-sama's eyes.

"So, it's true?" Tsunade asked, feeling beads of sweat form on her forehead. No. No! This isn't happening! She thought disbelieving what she would be told. A large knot tightened in her throat. It was hard to swallow.

"Yes," the man said, almost in a whisper. "Yes, it's true," he said, louder this time, his voice half-cracking.

Shizune looked up in shock. Ton-ton gave a nauseous squeal.

Tsunade felt a wave of nausea wash over her. It can't be. But it is… It is…. "So then, it's final." She couldn't believe what she was saying. Stop. Stop yourself! "All the Akatsuki members are dead."

It was a bright shiny day. In the village of Konoha, rushed workers and townsfolk walked among the land, minding their own business. A young, blonde boy ran past the crowded stores. He ran past the fish market, past the flower shop, and past the barbecue place. He stopped at the small ramen stand, and walked inside with a smile.

"Good morning, Naruto," the Ichiraku ramen owner said, pouring a new batch of hot water into the cooker.

"Good morning, ojii-san!" Naruto replied cheerfully. He gave the old man his order of ramen, and waited.

"You seem happy today," the old man said, stirring a pot full of noodles.

Naruto snickered. "Yeah, I guess I do. So what are you up to?"

'Nothing much, just the usual. You?"

"Nothing new, really. Just morning training after breakfast, then back here for lunch." Naruto gave his retort with a laugh of humor. The old man didn't laugh. Tough crowd, he said silently in his thoughts.

"You really going to do that much training?" he asked, still stirring the pot of ramen. The steamy, flavorful smell of noodles floated among the small stand like an enveloping mist. It only drove Naruto's crave even more.

"Yeah, I have to work hard to get what I want, you know?" Naruto said with confidence. He pounded his chest with a fist as a sign of devotion.

"Oi! Naruto!" a familiar voice called.

At the sound of his name, the blonde turned around to see who was calling him. "Eh?!? Shikamaru? What are you doing here?"

Shikamaru let out a groan. "Eh…it would be too troublesome to explain it to you now. Just come! Hokage-sama is expecting you."

"Me?" Naruto let out a loud screech. Uh-oh. Am I in trouble? What have I done for the past week? Hmm…

"Don't get all worked up, just come. She's calling a bunch of us there and she told us to hurry up. Don't make me get in trouble because of you." Shikamaru replied curtly.

"Okay, okay. You don't have to get all testy." Naruto replied with a low grunt. "Damn that Shikamaru, taking me away from my ramen," he mumbled under his breath as he followed him out of the stand. "I'll be back soon!" he called to the owner.

Sakura looked around the room. She couldn't believe so many people were called to come to Hokage-sama's office. "Wow..." she whispered under her breath. What could we all have been called here for? What could be the big announcement? Glistening sunlight spilled from the large window behind Hokage-sama's desk, forcing Sakura to squint. The sunlight stung her eyes. Papers were flown and scattered everywhere throughout the small room. I wonder why this place is so small for a room that belongs to the Hokage, she thought.

She looked around the room, staring at the faces of people. Familiar faces. Faces of people who she knew so well, that were called to this crammed up office the same way she was. By waking up to a cawing bird holding a ragged, small note in its grasp.

"I can't take this anymore! Why did you call us here if you're not going to say the least bit of a sentence?" Kiba demanded, eyes flaring with anger. His pet dog, Akamaru yelped in agreement.

The sudden outburst caused Sakura to back away, jumping up in surprise.

"It's not time yet… to explain," Tsunade replied, no expression showing on her face. The Hokage gave little detail.

What is she waiting for? Sakura pondered in thought. In the corner of her eye, she could see Kiba start to relax and calm down. As did Akamaru. A loud slamming sound made her jump again. Sakura turned. She saw Shikamaru walk in with a low grunt, followed by a hyperactive looking Naruto.

"Ne! Tsunade-no-ba-chan! Why did you call us here?!? You took me away from my breakfast!" Naruto yelled out in an even bigger demand than Kiba.

"Urusendaiyo, Naruto!" Tsunade yelled out with pure anger and annoyance. The comeback made Naruto slump back down and swallow his defiance against Tsunade.

"Why did you really call use here, Tsunade-no-ba-chan?" Naruto said in a

whisper this time, with a little more respect.

"I have a mission for you," she mumbled out.

"For all of us?" Sakura asked, surprised. She had never been on a mission with most of the village genin before. This was to be an exciting experience.

"Yes. I can't give you the full details, but you are to travel from here to the Hidden Waterfall. It is believed that that is where the Akatsuki Hideout is located." She replied, still unmoving from her desk.

Kakashi's only revealed eye widened in surprise. "Akatsuki?!" Naruto asked, mouth wide open in disbelief.

Sakura gasped. She couldn't believe what she was being told. Her? She was being sent on a mission as important like this? No way. Impossible. She looked to the other team members. They all had their eyes wide open either in shock, or in confidence. Naruto's eyes glared with a mixture of the two. I should be confident, too, Sakura thought. Yes. I will succeed in this mission. And I won't let anyone down.

"What's our objective?" Ino asked in confidence. She had her arms gripped on her hips, her hair covering one eye.

"To collect any information you can about Akatsuki. You have to find out their objective, and what their plan is. We have been informed that…" her voice trailed off for a moment. Her voice seemed to be caught in her throat. "Informed that they have a new plan, and we don't know if it is of any danger to us or the other 4 main countries. They have requested Konoha to send a wide selection of ninja there, and I've chosen each one of you to be part of this mission. Of course, some of the ninja in this country, like most of the jounin and other genin are on other missions involving this as well. So all of us are a part of this. During this mission you are to act seriously, and fight with all your will and do what you think is best. Don't let anything slow you down, and if you sense that a fight is imminent, send one of the team to handle it while the rest move on. This will be your job, Kakashi. You will be this team's leader. Any questions?"

"Why do we only get one leader? With so many genin, isn't it best to have more than one leader to control us all and lead us all? What if we get lost along the way?" Chouji asked in a concerned voice.

"That would be a good idea, yes, but as I said, all the other jounin in this village are sent on more important tasks, backup information missions, you might call it. Kakashi is the only one left over. Your team will be made up of: Hatake Kakashi, Akimichi Chouji, Hyuuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Yamanako Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, Ten-Ten, Hyuuga Neji, and Rock Lee" Tsunade replied, still in her comfy desk.

"Thanks for the flatter," Kakashi replied sarcastically. For once his face wasn't covered in that book of his.

"Okay, you have one hour to prepare yourselves and leave. Go!" Tsunade yelled across the room.

With that, all the ones concerned rushed out of the room in blurs, leaving Shizune and Tsunade alone.

"You think they'll be alright?" Shizune asked, appearing from behind Tsunade's chair.

Tsunade sighed. She tilted her head up, and said, "I trust they will do fine. They won't let us down. Because they are the ninja of Konoha."

"Okay, is everyone ready?" Kakashi-sensei asked, sounding serious. Everyone nodded. "On this mission, you are to be serious. No fooling around. Just as Hokage-sama informed you earlier. This mission is important to all ninja, even the townsfolk, so you have to do your best. Follow my instruction carefully and only my instruction. If you have any second thoughts, well, don't. Even if Tsunade-sama told you to act on your own, even the smartest people in the world make mistakes. Got it?" Everyone nodded again. "Good, then let's get going."

As they walked through the gates of Konoha, Naruto looked around. So all the genin are here. On one mission. One mission only. The result of the futre depends on the result of the outcome. I'll definitely figure out what Akatsuki is up to for sure! He thought with confidence.

As they got farther and farther away from Konoha, his thoughts of bravery were swept away by a sudden chill. It sent a shiver down Naruto's spine. Why the sudden cold? He thought. All around him he could sense the surprised expressions on the other teammate's faces. They were all thinking the same thing: What was going on?

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise. "Everyone stop! Don't move!"

"What? What's going on?" Ino asked, her eyes showing great concern. Looks like she wanted to do good on this mission, too. Startled cries flew in the air when the clouds started twisting. Twisting and turning in agony. The glazed blue of the sky turned to black. The steady-paced clouds were moving at top speed. They turned red. Red, then a light pink. Pink, then gray. Gray, then yellow. Yellow, and then finally green.

Then a loud pinning sound was heard. What is that noise? Naruto demanded silently in his mind. Everyone was covering their ears, trying to shut out the sharp, winding sound in the air.

Large vines emerged from the ground, flew back their heads in anger, rising just to fall back down again. Longer, but thinner vines emerged as well, they raced to the team and held a tight grip on each of the genin. Ugh! Naruto thought as he was being constricted tighter and tighter by the strange vines. Just what is going on here?

"Everybody, don't panic! It's a genjutsu!" Kakashi yelled for control over the team. He made a few but quick hand signs, and called the genjutsu off. "Kai!" he demanded.

The clouds slowly turned backwards, as if going back in time. They slowly turned gray. Then they turned pink, and then red, then back to white. The sky slowly painted itself blue again, and the vines seemed to be dissolving.

The forest was in sight again, and everyone stopped panicking. "What was that just now?" Kiba asked, looking around.

"It was a genjutsu cast by someone inside the forest. Whoever did it is still probably around." Kakashi peered from one side to the other.

"Very perceptive," a voice called out from a distance. Everyone turned their heads forward to see who was calling out to them. A figure slowly emerged in the growing evening mist. A bright glare shone from the tip of the dark silhouette. As the figure walked closer, it got bigger.

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked, pulling up his headband, revealing his sharingan.

"No need to get all testy, Kakashi-sempai," the figure called out. Naruto gasped. How did this person know Kakashi-sensei's name? Just who was he?

The figure slowly came into focus. One by one, Naruto started to tell the characteristics of the character. A black cloak-like robe, large hints of red on it, short, white hair, a face with green eyes half-covered by the robes he was wearing. A glimmering, white cloth headband. What was that sign from? Naruto could only make it out that it was circular. Where was this person from? Konoha? The Earth Country? Then he realized it. A member of the Akatsuki.

The figure was perfectly into view now. Gasps were heard from certain parts of the group. Hard stares were sensed from various points. The person let out a small chuckle. "You guys seemed so shocked to see me, even if I haven't met you before."

"What do you want? Who are you?" Kakashi let out in an angry voice.

The person scoffed. "Your journey ends here, team of Konoha," he replied, as if not hearing Kakashi's questions. He shifted.

Kakashi's sharingan spun wildly like a windmill. His eyes locked onto this strange character, he gave everyone sudden instructions. "Everyone, jump back!" Everyone obeyed and jumped back right in time to see thick and large wood-like vines impulse from the ground. Kakashi blocked his head with his arms in defense. He was too late. Or so he thought.

Kakashi waited for the pain. The cold, searing pain of the vines stab through his entire body, inching their way through every aspect they could find. But he never received it. Slowly, he opened his eyes. In front of him, a large swarm of black defended against the large whipping wood.

"Nani?" he choked out, surprised.

"Ninpou, Konchuu Shouheki no Jutsu (Ninja Arts, Insect Barrier Technique)" Shino commanded clearly. Through his thick shades could have been seen small, leering eyes at the Akatsuki member. The large swarm of bugs ate away at the wood, decaying it, destroying it.

"Shino!" Kakashi cried, almost in a thankful tone.

'It's okay," Shino said. "Remember what Godaime told us? She told us that if we thought a fight was imminent, one of us should take the fight and let the rest move on. This is an important mission after all, and I won't let you guys down."

"But- Shino-kun!" Hinata protested in that small, shrill voice she had.

"No. He's right. We have to take this chance and move on." Kakashi explained. He lowered his headband to close his sharingan. "I trust you won't let us down, Shino." Shino nodded in reply. "Let's go!" he called to the rest of the team. They began to race away, many members wishing Shino good luck.

"Not so fast!" the person shouted. He called up another wave of stretching vines to bind the team together.

"No." Shino demanded in a silent tone. Bugs swarmed over the vines, and started to eat away the vines, leaving a clear escape route for the team.

"Bastard, you're going to pay for that." The teenage boy said through gritted teeth.

"Only idiots speak foolishly." Shino retorted in reply.

The boy scoffed. "Let's finish this quick," he said, separating his arms, pointing them toward Shino. "Ninpou, Sugoi Kusamura Misairu (Ninja Art, Amazing Jungle Missiles)" Shino's eyes widened as long, thin vines fired from the sleeves of the user's robe and the ground. They flew at lightning-fast speed, and cut right through the barrier of bugs, and headed straight for Shino.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura's Cage

"Let's pick up speed," Kakashi informed, jumping from branch to branch of the intertwining forest, the whole team following just behind. The whole team except Shino.

The whole team followed and Kakashi raced ahead. Naruto tried to catch up desperately. The rush of wind blew against his hot face. He sighed. Something was troubling his mind. He couldn't think straight. Come on, get your act together! He scolded himself. It was no use. He just couldn't help worrying about Shino and that strange character they had left him all alone with. "Kakashi-sensei," he said in a quiet, low tone.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi said, looking back but not losing speed. His long, straight-up hair was rushing with the wind. His one revealed eye looked at Naruto suspiciously.

"It's just that," Naruto began, looking to his side. He didn't want to make eye contact with Kakashi-sensei. "What is the Akatsuki after? How come we don't know anything about this mission? And how do we know that Shino is going to be alright?" he asked, raising his voice after each question. As he spoke his words, the knot in his chest seemed to tighten.

"Naruto…" Kakashi said calmly. He turned his head forward again. "Even I don't know the answer to your questions."

The knot in his chest was even tighter now. He looked to the other teammates, and he could see they were feeling the same as he was. If he hadn't asked Kakashi, all of them might have gone insane. He sighed once again. Shino… he thought. Please… be okay…

The vines struck the ground with incomparable force. They were so steady that they were stuck in the ground. Shino dodged away just in time to catch his breath. "Who are you? What do you want with Konoha?" Shino demanded in a calm tone. His eyes were locked onto the person's robe sleeves. That appears to be where his attacks come from, he thought.

The character smirked. "The name's Akiha Taiyou. And I have no interest in your stupid town. I'm just here for a little fun," he said with a big, evil grin. Shino didn't look impressed. "It ends soon, so don't worry. Kusaton Kikou Hashira no Jutsu! (Grass Element: Season Pillars Technique.)"

Shino's shaded eyes grew with amazement as large vines and emerald green tree branches burst out of the ground viciously, and fired like missiles toward him. "Ninpou Mushi Hashira! (Ninja Arts: Insect Pillar)" Shino slammed the ground as hardest as he could with both his hands. Only a second were needed to wait until large swarms of black bugs rose from the ground to the sky, building a small pillar type shield for Shino's body.

The vines outstretched and grew, desperately trying to get to Shino, but they were failed horribly. The insects would keep Shino safe for long enough. Then they returned through his sleeves. Shino observed the field. He looked at the limp branches and vines on the ground, connecting back through the ground, and through the vines from the first attack that lead inside Taiyou's sleeves. So that's how he attacks from the ground, Shino thought cleverly. What about the air?

At that moment Shino looked up. He realized he needed a plan. He cleared his throat. "Akiha Taiyou, huh? That means Autumn Leaf, Sun, doesn't it?" Shino asked, uninterested. He figured that stalling with conversation bought him enough time to make up a plan. He wasn't as smart as Shikamaru, but according to how talkative his opponent was, he had all the time in the world.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Taiyou said curtly. Shino could sense his anger. He must be getting angry that his attacks can't get to me, Shino thought. The though made Shino look down on him.

"Nothing… Your headband… it's not normal, is it?" Shino asked, still stalling for time, still sounding uninterested.

Taiyou scowled. "Yeah." He detached the vines from his right sleeve to point at it with his thumb. It made a faint clink as it made impact. The headband had white cloth, unlike other headbands which were usually blue or black. And the sign, it wasn't from a familiar country. It was a carved-in icon of the sun, spiked up rays protruding from the circle. Like the kind you would see little children draw. "You're probably wondering what country it's from, huh? You must be as dumb as a tree." He pointed to his headband again. It made another clink sound. "My headband's from the Grass Country. Why do you think I use vines for weapons?"

"Liar. Grass Country headbands have a different sign." Shino replied with no emotion showing at all. Just like how he always was. The fact seemed to piss Taiyou off though, since he scowled every time Shino spoke.

"Haven't you ever heard of the small city in the Grass Country called Akaranpu? It means Red Light. It's a rebel city and has their own ninja pride," Taiyou replied, letting his hand fall back down to his side. The action gave Shino an idea. "Now enough talk, let's get back to playing. Kusaton Kikou Hashira!" Yet another set of vines and branches burst through the ground, but this time it came in a smaller wave. Shino knew why.

The vines and branches struck through Shino's body. He let out a miserable groan. Then his body shivered. It shook furiously now, and departed into several black dots. Several bugs.

"Kawarimi Bunshin? Don't screw with me!" Taiyou said, reaching out his right arm again. Several vines outstretched ferociously from the right sleeve in different directions, many of them cutting through the bark of the surrounding trees, or some just missing completely. Taiyou let out a string of curses.

The vines he sent out from both arms were all pierced into the ground and forest deeply. "Fuuin!" Shino's voice cried out. Taiyou turned his head to see Shino a few feet behind him. Shino did several hand signs, and then stopped at the basic one. Bugs swarmed from his sleeves and bound his legs and feet, disabling them for the moment.

"Asshole! You really think that's going to stop me?!" he shouted out furiously.

"No. I know it will. You can't move your hands when you use your Sleeved Vines techniques." Shino said cleverly. He knew because when Taiyou stopped to explain his headband, he had to detach the vines from his right hand in order to point to it. That wouldn't really stop his legs though, but his bugs took care of that for now.

"That's where you're wrong! I can let go of my vines," he said, trying to sound clever. But it only came out normal. "Kai!" he declared. Nothing happened. "Wha- What's going on here?"

"You don't really think I'm that stupid, do you? Look closer at your vines." Shino instructed carefully. Taiyou obeyed. He looked from vine to vine and branch to branch, and found out why he couldn't let go. Bugs were on them, millions and millions of them were climbing on the vines and branches of the past attacks, walking around as if nothing were happening.

"Wha- ?" Taiyou let out in a sharp cry, confused.

"I sent my bugs to stop the chakra flow circulating in your vines. Since I know you use your old attacks to link to new ones, you have to use chakra through the vines, but if that chakra flow stops, you can't do anything." Shino said, stating out another fact. At this point, both persons knew that Taiyou had been stumped. He let out an angry growl.

"You really think you've got me, don't you?" he asked with a large smirk. "You've got lots to find out, bastard."

"Shino…" Naruto muttered under his breath as he jumped from tree to tree. He looked up. They were reaching the Valley of End, the large waterfall and lake area between the Hidden Sound and Leaf. A large mountain stood in their way, pleading them to climb. When the finally reached that top, something caught Naruto's eye. No way, he thought. Not another one. He was right. It wasn't another one. It was _two_ other ones. Naruto grunted as he climbed up the last step, stepping up beside Sakura and the rest of them as they watched the two figures come closer.

Small portions of the evening mist had grown, and some had cleared, but nevertheless the faces of the figures were completely engulfed in the shifting fog. Swaying sounds on the water were heard with each step. They're using chakra to walk on the waterfall, Naruto realized.

The two figures were coming straight for them. The concerned team members couldn't tell out the faces, but strangely, it seemed that the two people approaching could. One was tall and normal-weighted, his large sleeves of his robe flowing behind him with the flow of the wind, his large cloak unbuttoned, revealing his inside clothes, which gave off a faint glimmer in the mist. The other character beside him was large, who seemed to bobble with every step he took. His structure seemed to be unstable, jumbling every now and then, shivering. He was much shorter than the other one, his cape a barely visible shadow.

As they approached, Kakashi's eye grew wide with shock. His voice came out in a choked out manner. "You- You!" he said, not recovering from his shock. "You're… "

"Nice to meet you again, Kakashi-kun," the tall figure said. Naruto could clearly see his face. Brown hair with a straight triangle limping down from his right side. A crossed out mist headband worn across his ninja vest, his Akatsuki cloak wide open with his sleeves still swimming against the wind. Uncaring brown eyes with a serious, grim expression on his face.

"You're- Kuramakane… Mizumaru!" Kakashi choked out in his bubbling voice. The figure beside him let out an invisible smirk. He was still covered by blackness all around, the mist only making way for the tall one to be seen. Dark eyes peered from the shadow, a hard glare on the whole team.

"What's wrong, sensei?" Sakura asked, sounding concerned.

"This… this man…" he began, voice still bubbly. "This man killed the MizuKage… twice."

Sakura gasped. Mizumaru narrowed his eyes. Every other team member looked surprised, mouths wide open in shock.

"Are we done with introductions yet, Mizumaru?" the blob figure asked. Mizumaru didn't reply. He didn't speak at all. "Ignorant as always, huh Mizu?" Still no reply. He just narrowed his eyes more, giving a hard glare against Sakura.

Who are these people? Naruto wondered in deep thought. What do they want?

"Suiton…" Mizumaru let out in a whispered growl.

Even though most of Kakashi's features were covered by his mask, you could tell his face grew tense. "Everyone take cover!" he commanded. The team obeyed, hiding behind large rocks, heads protruding out to see what was to happen.

"Ryuusui no Jutsu!" Mizumaru declared. A large wave of pressured water came shooting at them, dusting away the surface beneath their feet like a hurricane.

Naruto noticed Sakura running out from cover. "Sakura-chan!" She didn't reply.

"Shaa!" Sakura let out an agonized yell as she punched the ground beneath her. Her superhuman strength let the ground break and a large wave of force raced across the waterfall and headed towards Mizumaru. He didn't seem to care.

A large wall of blackness blocked Sakura's attack. "You won't win with such practical moves like those," the blob figure said, eyes narrowing like Mizumaru.

"Neither will you!" Shikamaru declared, coming out of his hideout, casting his Shadow Link technique rather quickly. In a few seconds he had Mizumaru and the other shaded figure in his technique's grasp. "Gotcha," he stated clearly that they had nowhere to go now. No where to escape.

Mizumaru let out an uninterested scoff. The blob figure remained silent. "Let's finish them off, Sakura. You know, get them out of our way," Shikamaru directed.

"Right," Sakura agreed happily. "Shaa!" she let out a battle cry as she raced across the waterfall with blinding speed, and got into position to knock out the blob figure. Her fist barely made impact when something wrapped around her wrist, stopping her attack. "What?" she let out in a surprised jolt. She looked to the blob figure. A hard glare stared back at her.

"Blackness Engulf Technique." He declared in a small, rasped tone. The shadow rope that tied Sakura's wrist spread out her body, giving her a feeling of dread and sliminess.

"Ugh!" she cried out, as the shadows engulfed her shoulders, her neck, then finally her face.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried out despairingly.

"It's over," the black figure concluded. "Shadow Strangle Technique…"


	3. Chapter 3

Shikamaru's Plan Ripped Apart!

Naruto looked at the helpless Sakura a few feet away from him. She was being strangled now, strangled and crushed. From her torso to her neck, all of that was being applied pressure on. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. To kill someone without any feeling or regret... It's not right! He could feel the anger build up inside him.

"Hey, Naruto!" a voice interrupted his thoughts. "Don't look so dazed, the enemy's right in front of us!" It was Kakashi-sensei's voice. "Now, what are we going to do?"

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kakashi? Not knowing what to do? Impossible. He always had a plan. He had a mind of Shikamaru's after all. Could he be in that much panic? "Kakashi-sensei," he called quietly, as if in deep thought.

"What is it, Naruto?" he said, his voice groggy, almost panicky. Naruto could see that his hand was clinging to a rock. His hand was shaking uncontrollably, the rock soon to destruction.

Naruto couldn't take it. He decided to just let it all out. "Who is this Mizumaru guy, what's so important about him, and what the hell about him makes you so scared! I've never seen you like this before Kakashi-sensei!"

His words seemed to make Kakashi relax a bit. "Naruto… If you only knew." Now Naruto's eyes shook with hints of fear. What… just what… could this guy have possibly done to make Kakashi-sensei like this?

Kakashi looked down at the ground, his mind surrounded by memories of the past. He remembered the feeling. The feeling of having his neck clamped so tightly by the rushing water, the feeling of being so helpless. He remembered the Third telling him, "I know you won't let us down with this mission. I have complete trust in you." How could he fail so badly? Was he not strong enough? How? HOW? Suddenly he was pulled away from his thoughts of the past and back to reality where his team member was in trouble. We can't waste any time, he thought. I won't let Hokage-sama down this time. This time, I'll kill him for sure.

"Hinata! Neji!" Kakashi demanded their full attention. At the sound of her name, Hinata jumped. Neji just turned his head towards Kakashi. "I want you two to use Byakugan to guide me when I go get Sakura. Shikamaru, you'll follow Neji and Hinata's instructions since you can stop attacks and warn others." Shikamaru nodded. Hinata and Neji activated their dojutsu together.

"Hey! Kakashi-sensei! What do the rest of us do?!" Naruto yelled angrily, looking eager to do something.

"You guys stay behind!" Kakashi commanded. At that note, Naruto backed away, looking guilty. "I can't have too many of you going into the fight because that would put you all in danger. You guys just keep safe, okay?" he said with a little less demand this time.

The team nodded, and followed Kakashi's instruction. "Okay, let's do this." Kakashi said, indicating that the real fight was about to begin. "Raikiri!" He noticed his heart beat faster. His chest tightened. Beads of sweat formed beneath his slanted forehead protector. The hum of his Raikiri grew louder and sharper, its own battle cry. A great amount of energy stored in Kakashi's hand, letting out long streaks of lightning, blue as his chakra. It was practically the only thing seen in the thickening mist.

Naruto bit his lower lip. "Damnit!" he heard Sasuke mumble under his breath. It must be hard for him. I probably know what he's thinking, Naruto pondered. Naruto felt a sudden rush blow against him. He knew why. Kakashi had launched his attack. The sharp hum of the lightning made a cold chill crawl against his spine. He was nervous, too, he realized.

"This is getting too intense…" Naruto heard Chouji mutter under his breath. Was the whole team nervous as well? Or is it just me, Naruto thought. He brushed his forehead against a rock. His headband made a scraping sound. He didn't seem to care. Naruto sighed. When will I get to do something helpful? He thought. Why am I so useless?

"Kakashi-sensei! To your left!" Naruto heard Hinata's sharp voice cry out. Naruto tilted his head up sharply just in time to see what was happening. Kakashi was just a few feet away from Mizumaru now, The Raikiri's light spilled on their faces. What's wrong with him? Shouldn't he be helping Sakura?

Shikamaru groaned. He couldn't keep his jutsu on for long, he knew. It didn't seem to hold the shivering guy, and it didn't seem to bother Mizumaru, either. What was the point of binding them together and wasting my chakra? He let out a dispersed groan again.

"That's it… I can't do this anymore, Damn it!" Sasuke yelled. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. He saw the quick hand signs Sasuke made, his eyes flaring with confidence. "Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" he aimed at the shaded character.

"Suiton Mizuhei no Jutsu (Water Element: Water Wall Technique)" Mizumaru let out in a whisper. A large twisting wave of water emerged from the still-flowing waterfall, and intercepted Sasuke's attack. Steam emerged from where Sasuke's flames were, and Sasuke – disappeared? Where has he gone to? Then Naruto realized it. It was a clone after all, he thought.

"Die!" Kakashi's agonized voice broke into Naruto's thoughts. Kakashi launched the Raikiri with all of his strength. Full of hate, his attack broke through his opponent's chest, hearing Sakura call out to him in a suffocating voice. Then his opponent exploded, exploded into great wisps of air which blended with the suffocating mist, which only made it stronger. "No!" Kakashi shouted as he realized his attack was wasted on a Mist Clone. The line of shadow imitation that connected the clone and Shikamaru crawled back to Shikamaru, allowing his hold on one person only. But that person didn't seem to have any effects at all of the Shadow Imitation.

"You've wasted your time, Kakashi, now your friend dies." The shadow character declared, tightening his hold on Sakura's body. She groaned in despair, then exploded. Exploded just like Mizumaru did, but this time, into many various flutters of pink. Flutters of sakura petals. "Wha- the shadow character muttered in surprise.

"Now!" Shikamaru yelled. Hinata seemed to nod. She did a combination of hand signs quickly, and declared: "Ninpou Sugoi Chakra Ranpu Seiiku (Ninja Art Great Chakra Light Development)" She held out her arms in place, and a great blue light emerged from her palms, separating in different directions.

"No!" the shadow character yelled. "Not yet!" He raced across the swarm of sakura petals, and his blurry figure seemed to wear off. It seemed to come into structure of a person, a tall person, as tall as Mizumaru. He raced at a flashing speed, jumped, and held something in the air. The sun cast its light on it, but it still couldn't be determined what it was. That moment, Naruto realized the mist was clearing.

"A kunai!" Shikamaru declared. "Bastard!" Shikamaru made a new set of hand signs, and pointed one finger upward and the other to the attacker's direction. "Ninpou Kage Katachi no Jutsu (Ninja Arts Shadow Figure Technique)" Shikamaru's shadow, which was behind him, settled on rock, raced out of its position and raced to where the attacker was, holding a shadow of a kunai in its hand. It jumped from rock to rock, and came at the person from the left.

"Asshole! You really think that's going to stop me?" he yelled in a demanding voice, loud and clear enough for the whole team to hear. At that moment, his own shadow moved from its position and clashed against Shikamaru's shadow. They were fighting now, their shadows tearing at each other, dodging each other's attacks with automatic reflexes.

Neji's eyes widened in surprise, as if he had figured out something. "Again!" Shikamaru yelled. A figure jumped from the bushes on the side of the mountain, and confidently did a set of hand signs. Sakura-chan! Naruto realized.

"Ninpou Sakura Bakufuu no Jutsu (Ninja Arts Sakura Blast Technique) " That moment, large amounts of pink and petals raced across the waterfall along with the wind, and dove at the person attacking Hinata. Hinata couldn't move, since she was busy getting rid of the character's shadow shield with Chakra Light. The petals crashed loudly with a boom, but missed entirely the whole target. But it made the character retreat back to where he was before. The feuding shadows returned to their rightful owners as well.

In the settling mist above, Mizumaru appeared with blinding speed, raced across the water, with three kunai in his hand. "Katon Housenka!" a voice from the bushes called. Great amounts of fireballs flew from the right, aiming directly at Mizumaru. Mizumaru quickly turned his direction to the right, stopping his attempted assault on the rest of the team, and raced past the fireballs like there was nothing in the way. In the bushes, Mizumaru had the helpless opponent in his hands, neck completely helpless and ready to be strangled.

"You… You're Uchiha Sasuke aren't you…?" Mizumaru whispered in Sasuke's ear, who was shaking in pain.

"What have you done with Kakashi, you twit?" Sasuke asked curtly, as if Mizumaru hadn't just asked a question. Mizumaru smirked.

"Don't play dumb with me. He's hiding inside the waterfall. I figured out your Shadow Imitator's plan a long time ago. And it's not going to work. You see, I only killed two MizuKage by the age of nine, when your sensei, Kakashi was seventeen, and you know what? He almost died on that mission, who says you can't, too? But I'll spare you, you worthless Uchiha. You're the last one anyway. That's right. He's dead. All the Akatsuki members are dead, do you really think you can kill me with such a move, let alone hit me?" He spoke these words to Sasuke with no expression on his face. No expression on his one eye that showed. His other half of his face covered in triangular brown hair. "If you really wanted to kill your brother so badly… find the teammate of mine that killed your brother, and if you kill him, that would mean you're stronger than your brother… wouldn't it?" He let go of his grasp on Sasuke's neck. "Get out of my face, you brat," he said, walking back to the waterfall.

Kakashi jumped from the water, with yet another Raikiri in his hand. "Don't screw around with me Kakashi!" Mizumaru cried out. He took Kakashi by his wrist of the hand that held the Raikiri, and sent him flying back to where the team was. His body crashed on a large rock while his Raikiri wore off slowly.

Sasuke remained behind the bushes, deep in though. Should I believe him? If all the Akatsuki members are dead… then who are these people? Why are they wearing cloaks like them? No. they have to be dead. I know most of the Akatsuki members already, and the three I've seen so far haven't been one of them. Even if they were included, it wouldn't make Akatsuki a 9 member team anymore. That's it. They have to be dead… right? Then, if that's true… I'll kill that person who got to my brother first, he decided quietly in his thoughts.

"Your group is weak. Your plan didn't work out; none of your attacks even had a chance of attacking me. What is this team, anyway? Why have you spent the beginning of your lives wasting it away? Letting it run away with the wind like a pile of sand? Letting it go, not even trying to clasp it? If you wish to kill me, fine. Go ahead and try. You won't succeed, I hope you know."

Kakashi let out a despaired groan. "Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed. Sakura rushed to her sensei's side and cast a healing technique. The green glow of chakra spilled over her worrying face. Please… be alright... Carefully, she could see that Kakashi's injuries were bad. Just from a throw? Sakura realized. Who is this guy? She thought. The slight hum of chakra stopped when Kakashi slowly opened his eyes and had a steady breathing pattern again. Sakura sighed in relief.

"You... you're crazy!" Sakura exclaimed, flaring with fury.

"Insult me all you want, little girl. It's not like I care." Mizumaru exclaimed, still no expression on his face.

"S-Shikamaru…" Kakashi called. Shikamaru looked up too see Kakashi's stare directly at him. "I-I want you and Sakura to take care of these two… I know Sakrua may not be much of a fighter, but she's confident enough and with your direction, I know you guys can win."

Oh no, this is going to be a let-down… Shikamaru thought. "Okay, Kakashi. I guess it would be too troublesome to decline now."

"Na-Nani!?!" Naruto began. "Why do they get to stay and fight! Let me! Give me a chance!"

"Naruto! This isn't the time for that right now! Just follow Kakashi's instruction! Help him get out of here! He's in no condition to walk!"

Naruto's eyes glazed in disappointment. Shikamaru's right, he thought. "Fine," he said grumpily. He picked up Kakashi by the arm and put it around his neck. Then he ran out of there. The whole team followed, taking glimpses of Shikamaru and Sakura as they left.

"Sakura, you ready to do this?" Shikamaru asked, trying to build up confidence.

Sakura clenched her fists tightly by her side in reply. Her eyes covered in the shadows of the sun, she looked up, and revealed her stare of confidence.

"This should be easy," the character beside Mizumaru said, getting his arms into position as if about to launch an attack. Mizumaru said nothing as always, the limp triangular part of his hair swaying slowly with the wind, his eyes narrowed. "Kageton Kuroi Hayashi no Jutsu! (Shadow Element Black Forest Technique)" the talkative character declared, pounding his palms against the cool, rushing water beneath them.

A loud rumbling took place, indicating that something big was going to happen. Large tree-shaped shadows formed and emerged from the ground slowly, creeping their way out to the outer world. The shadow "trees" had no leaves, they looked as dead as night. Only black branches of shadow covered the whole waterfall area now, and sight was totally lost. Sakura and Shikamaru could not see Mizumaru and his friend, and vice-versa.

"This is going to be a troublesome fight, isn't it?" Shikamaru groaned as he stared up at the sky. The clouds and sky were gone now. Only branching darkness surrounded them. It looks like I might have to use _that_ move, Shikamaru thought finally.


	4. Chapter 4

Yomi's Forgotten Past

Surrounded by foresting trees and shrubs, Uchiha Sasuke dozed away in his own thoughts. Kill him… kill him… kill him… he thought continually, his back still up against the body of a tree, unmoving to catch up with the team. His neck was still sore from the sudden attack earlier. He sighed. If only Itachi was alive, this would be much more enjoyable. Much more to look forward to. But then he suddenly realized I t. Now that Itachi was gone, what would he focus his life on? Training to kill someone who's already dead won't work out. He let out another sign. This time with a wave of grief through it. I should catch up in case that guy who I'm looking for shows up. Right now, I'll focus on killing that person since he killed Itachi, he decided.

Slowly, he got up, his legs trembling and unused. Bastard, I'll teach him to mess up my chances with Itachi. He rocked slowly, advancing forward, then zoomed into the forest in a blur. In his eye as he passed the waterfall, he found Sakura, with a serious look on her face. She'll mess it up in no time… Sasuke thought unconfidently, and then zoomed into the forest with greater speed.

Back in the forest near Konoha, where the sun was still shining and the mist was not present, bugs swarmed loudly.

"Gyahh! Get these damn bugs off of me!" Taiyou screamed, face half full of crawling bugs, the other half with bugs still advancing upward his robe. Shino flashed a knowingly glare. The bugs continued to advance, giving a display of crawling black figures all over Taiyou's face. Taiyou stopped yelling and screaming, and took a deep breath. The bugs continued to crawl all over him, as if not caring what could happen to them. Taiyou slowly closed his heavy-lidded eyes. When he suddenly reopened them, there was a disturbance.

Shino muttered out loudly. Wha-What's going on? He thought in shock. Taiyou seemed perfectly normal. "Ranpu Kawarimi no Jutsu (Light Replacement Technique)" Taiyou muttered out. He began to glow. Slowly and steady-paced, he began to fade. away into the light. The bugs ascended, now having no job to finish, they drifted back through Shino's sleeves.

"Na-Nani?" Shino quietly murmured, the spots of block retreating through inside him.

"Die!" Taiyou's voice cried out from the forest. Racing vines came from one direction, and darting branches came from another. Shino was caught suddenly by surprise, and held in a tight grip of tightening and uncomfortable greenery. It continued to squeeze. Tighter. And tighter. Tighter until Shino could feel his breath whistling out from his mouth, his nostrils.

Taiyou's figure slowly emerged from the ground, as if he were part of it. "You just don't get it do you? Whenever I'm outside, I'll always win the fight." He said these words confidently as the last parts of his body emerged from the unsteady floor beneath them. They were only a few feet away from each other now, and Shino could feel that this fight was about to get much more serious. "Now, smile wide, and say… cheese!" He held a hand right in front of Shino. It seemed to gather light energy, and then, with a full shot, shone brightly and surrounded Shino, making him only see blurs of white and green, until he fainted.

Kageken Yomi's figure slowly came out in a slow pacing way through one of the dark, shadowy branches he himself created. "This is how I get my victory, little kid," he said with an evil smirk.

"Don't bet on it blobface!" Shikamaru yelled at him. He obviously still doesn't know my name yet, Yomi decided. I should tell him to shut him up.

"The name's Yomi, little kid, and I'm not here to play word games. I'm here to kill." After all, that was what they said in my country, in the Hidden Shade. Especially my family. They were one of the poorest but most successful clans there. Until that madman… Yomi drifted away in his thoughts as he got his chakra ready for his attack on the unsuspecting boy in front of him:

It was a dark, blurry day, as always. The sun never shone on the Hidden Shade Country, for if it ever did, techniques would be uncompleted, training would have failed, and the hidden country wouldn't be hidden anymore. And let's face it. It'd just disturb the people. They've never seen sunlight before, so why show it to them when they've gotten so used to the shadowy place, anyway? There was no point.

Yomi stood in the darkened yard, his sight unbothered by the shadowy surroundings. A ninja must learn to work even in the harshest of areas, he thought. He was still 12 in this memory, probably too dimwitted to comprehend anything in life, but still, he worked hard. He knew this country's beliefs, and he knew it was the path he had to walk. So he chose not to be a failure, not to be one who is looked down on. He threw another kunai at the unsuspecting shadow figure.

A direct hit! It had hit the dummy with a direct hit! But it didn't matter to Yomi. He knew that he had to make his pace quicker, his throws slicker, his eyes more watching. He heard muffled voices surrounding him. Must be people around watching me, but I'm not watching them. He hated all this attention. At least we're in the Shadow Country, where you can't tell people apart very well. In this country, size, shape, and looks didn't matter. Since everyone was shrouded in darkness, no one cared if you looked ugly or beautiful. It was one quality he liked. Although, they did have to kill all the time, even the smallest of kids, but, that was their way of training, and if Yomi had to take that path, then of course, he would. He wanted to exceed the exceptional.

He closed his eyes. Waited. Waited for the moment. The precious moment when the people finally leaved him be. The moment never came. That's it. I'm not letting these onlookers slow me down! He though angrily. He threw another kunai at the shadow dummy he made with his technique. A successful hit. Another throw. Another successful hit. This hasn't stayed training anymore, he realized. It's just play now. Now that I've mastered throwing kunais, it's just play.

He continued his "play" for another hour, and finally gave up and started his way home. He whiffed in a large scent of something. Flowers? No. Flowers don't grow here. But what was that sweet, sweet smell? When his eyes got adjusted to the darkness more, he realized it. Just another pastry shop. Another bakery shop I can't afford to buy anything from. He sighed. Although he worked hard and did his best, he could stand being poor. But it wasn't his fault his parents didn't make enough money from missions. This is a pretty poor country, since we shut down most of our natural resources except air and water. We even shut away sunlight because the ancestors wanted us to know the value of hard work. Too bad they're not succeeding with most kids.

He walked past the bakery shop reluctantly, and continued his path home. Along his path, his ears found the voices of children laughing and teens having fun. How can they have so much time for that? He though angrily. Shouldn't they be training and working their hardest too? Why is our world so damn lazy! He felt his anger bubble up inside of him. He commanded it back down. Back down deep inside his heart.

He felt soft wetness brush against his arm. What was that? More soft wetness. On his hands now. His legs. His shoulders. His hair. The coldness seemed to sink down into his body, so cold and wet, so uninviting. So pouring, so freezing. It was rain, he realized. Rain. I wonder what rain looks like, he thought, still moving across his path. He saw nothing but blackness, only his hearing and touch guided him. But he recognized this path well. It would not take long to get home. 7 more steps forward, then 54 steps left, then turn a right for 27 steps… he memorized completely. He felt like a blind person. But how would he know? He couldn't tell if he really was blind or if he could see. None of it really mattered to him anyway.

His sopping wet clothes slummed his pace, the wetness prickling against his hair like icy-cold shards. A bitter taste hit the back of his throat. The sudden bitterness surprised him. The smell seemed so fresh, so sour, he was sure he'd smelt it long before. But what was it? When he finally recognized, he started racing home. No! It can't be! Not now!

He was panting wildly now, the cold wet air mixed in with the unpleasant smell mixed in him with every breath. His foot came across something wet and sticky. He cried out in disgust. He continued his path to find moth sticky puddles. The same kind of puddles that held the bitter unpleasant taste. The same kind of puddles that he dreaded. No.. Not… the only thing I care about! Please not now! He tripped over something heavy and large.

He merely tripped, and got back on his feet rather quickly. No! Please no! He felt the heavy subject with his arms, slowly and quietly to himself, he made out the face. Long, silky hair, a well proportioned nose, small freckles, small lips and beady eyes. His mother! No, please not them! Don't tell me they've come! He suddenly heard moaning from the right side. He quickly turned his head. He raced to the place panting hard and low.

"Who's there? Please, tell me! Who's there?" Yomi cried out, desperate for help.

A low moan came again. A moan that sounded like a helpless cry from… his father! "Father! Father, where are you! Father!"

"Yomi…" the voice of his father cried out in a distressed concern. "The other clans have come… to kill our family." Yomi couldn't believe it. He knew that the other famous clans were jealous of his clan because they were so poor yet so successful, but they wouldn't hate us enough to kill us, would they? He had to find out.

"Father! Father, are you all right?" he cried out in concern. No reply came to him. Only a heavy thud rang in his ears. And he knew why. His father had fallen. He was dead, he knew. There was no use in saving it away, in pushing everything he had worked for and with away. I'll kill all these damned clans! With that though, he raced back through the darkness, his senses sharp as ever, an intent to kill shone in his glassy eyes.

He heard a loud laughing behind him. "Looks like there's only one little kid left of the damn clan. Should we kill him?" he heard a voice cry out.

"No, let's have fun letting him suffer for now. Let's use… this!" another voice cried out, in half enjoyment half excitement. Yomi wasn't scared. I'll show them to mess with me, he though.

He felt a dark energy surround him. He knew that this was the time to release it. Shades of purple and black were slightly seen in the darkness. A sudden grip took him by surprise. It didn't matter. The person was dead. Yomi quickly turned his head back. He heard the stranger cry out loudly, as if something had just hurt him vitally. Yomi knew, of course, that something did hurt him vitally. He knew exactly what. And that same thing will wipe out all these bastards and their stupid clans.

Yomi put together the regular hand seal. "Kai!" he declared with incomparable force. He felt the energy rise up from deep inside him, and then like a wave of power over and over again, his power began to flow out. Releasing his secret to the whole village, hurting them, eradicating them. All around he heard screams of surprise and agony. That'll teach you to mess with my clan! He screamed loudly in his mind. More waves of power seemed to flow out. He could feel it escaping his body. He knew the force was hungry. And he would hold back its restrictions no longer. The cries of death continued until they finally stopped. Only the pattering of the rain against solid objects could be heard now. The rain was heavy; it seemed to drag on his clothes forever. Damned… clan, he though, unable to control his power any longer. Slowly, it began crawling back into the depths of his emotions, slowly and steadily, it began to reform its place in the young boy's body.

I've lost all hope for this pathetic country, he decided. He walked slowly past the many dead bodies on the floor, only slightly touching them by the foot. Hate, hate, hate were the only words on his mind right now. He got all of his things ready, and took one last hearing of the silent country. No one knew what he had just done. They won't figure out my secret for a _long_ time, he thought. They may never find it out. He tied his headband to his leg, and tied a blindfold to his eyes, it's going to be hard dealing with the sun once I get out of here, he realized. With that, he used his secret power to escape out of the country safely and soundly.

Damn it. Where do I go from here? He asked himself. Anywhere but here, he realized. And he walked into the pillaring forests, and all the while he could feel the sun spill on his neck, his shoulders, lifting an entire weight off his shoulders. No clan to worry about… finally… I can train alone now… and forever it shall stay this way.

As he was sucked out of his memory, Yomi's chakra had gathered enough to do the trick. "Die, little boy," A tremendous amount of black energy formed around his palm, and then widened quickly around the whole area, engulfing the area, leaving nothing but total blackness now.


	5. Chapter 5

A blur of white came to view. The flashing colors. They were all so bright, so vivid. When will they ever stop? So much light… so much burning light… where am I? Shino thought in his semi-conscious state. Where am I, where have I gone to? Am I… still alive?

The blurs of white began to fade, revealing shapes at a slow pace. Shapes of trees, shrubs, rocks, clouds. Color began to spill on them, sad, gray, whiteness, dark, green leaves, the shadowed, soiled ground. Shino couldn't tell if he was standing or lying down. If he was awake or asleep. If we was dead or alive.

Something cold pelted his face. Another one. Another. The outside world came back to view. And yes, he was lying down. Yes, he was awake. And yes, he was alive. Slowly and strain fully, he began to pick himself up. He fixed his glasses. Dirt and soil caked his black hair. His overcoat was stained with dust marks. The coldness continued to strike his body. Rain, he realized. Heavy rain.

Where had Taiyou gone? Did he leave? Did he think I was dead? It didn't matter now. Something still clouded Shino's mind. He couldn't tell what. He felt for something solid. Something for him to hold, to guide himself with, until he felt better. Hopefully a lot better. The damp and dark wood felt slimy to his hand. The smell of wet tree filled his nose immediately.

The sun was no where to be seen. Dark, pillaring clouds were etched upon the sky, spreading their bounty onto the forest. The trees canopies nestled in union, swaying slowly to the right, then back to the left. The clammy touch of wet bark would not leave Shino's hand. He finally had to build up all his confidence to take a step towards the world he had forgotten. The world he soon realized lay right in front of him.

It took him a shorter time to take another step, then another, and then finally he made his way to a pace. Then a walk. His mind was still somewhat clouded, probably under a genjutsu or something.

The rain continued to splatter on his clothes. Heavy rain that shook the leaves of the trees were the only sound Shino could hear for miles. His chest was pounding for some reason, his mind totally exhausted.

He continued his walk across the forest, the new spring grass itching through his shoes. Shino didn't care. "Finally awake, now are we?" a voice called to him. It took a while for Shino to realize someone was talking to him. He looked up, and found a still but swaying figure in his path. The black robes trickled with the wind, swaying slowly just like the trees' canopies. The white hair was the only thing that stood out in the storm, loud clashes of thunder clawed at Shino's attention.

"No answer, huh?" the voice called to him again. The noise of thunder brought Shino's mind closer back to Earth. He soon realized who was talking to him. The figure of Akiha Taiyou stood out clearly. His Sun Town headband still glimmering even in the darkest storm. In his hand lay something bright. The colors of it shifted wildly, uncontrollably, but still somehow maintaining its shape. The sphere shape. Shino let out a low moan. He still wasn't ready to talk yet. That bright light… what has it done to me?

"I said, answer me!" Taiyou yelled at him, swinging the arm with the spherical light at him. The spectrums of light were released from the large sphere as it made its way through the rain-splattered forest. Got to… act fast…! Shino demanded his body. It slowly obeyed. With a loud bang, he stopped the multi-colored light attack in his left claw, closed to a claw shape. Bugs spread from his wrist and enveloped the large ball of light, and swallowed it completely into darkness.

Taiyou scowled. "I guess you still can fight against the symptoms of my Magirawashii Ranpu (Note: Magirawashii Ranpu means Dizzy Lights). Well, try to stop this attack!" Taiyou hit the ground with his right widely spread palm, giving off a hollow echoing sound. Vines thrusted from beneath the ground, its path of destruction leading right to Shino's unshifted position in the forest. The attack was inches away when another loud crash of thunder awoke Shino from his long, conscious sleep. He tilted his head up in surprise, and let out a huge swarm of bugs to protect him at the last second.

I'm back to normal, Shino realized. Shino's eyes narrowed. "Insect Funnel." A tornado of bugs emerged from both sleeves, blocking Taiyou's view of Shino, spreading through the whole forest like a blanket of clawing darkness.

"Screw it; I'm going all out on this asshole." Taiyou declared, shifting his position. "Ranpu no Senshu! (Light Bow)" A sphere of white light came from his hand, and strung up and down to for a bow like structure. A large arrow of light positioned itself in the middle, and with seemingly the greatest pressure, fired. It seemed to divide the whole forest in two; its great light forming a wall of brightness cutting its way through the forest, cutting everything in its path in two. Shino shifted, disappearing. The great line of light finally simmered down, leaving long steam flowing through the air, a long cut in the ground and a piece of the forest missing, burned away with intense light.

Shino's figure emerged from the shrubs, a hand full of twisting and stretching bugs covering his right hand, his body soaring through the air as any ninja should be. Taiyou immediately detected his attack, and shimmered out of the way. He appeared suddenly from above Shino as the pause after his failed attack came. He fired another arrow at where Shino was placed, a smaller range this time than the last. It had missed barely, leaving a wide, burned hole in the position as steam streaked from it.

A race of insects came from the towering forest, all from different directions. They clouded Taiyou's sight greatly, forcing him to go up in the air and jump from branch to branch. He won't make it, Shino decided, his body hidden in the darkened shrubs that were too, being pelted by the showering rainfall. Taiyou's figure disappeared, but a small line of light came from deep within the forest.

As the group of insects lined back into Shino's body, the lines of light continued. They grew thicker, and longer, burning the ground with impact. Soon, Shino realized he was in trouble, but didn't rush himself. "Destruction Bugs" he declared. A set of insects made their way to the source of light, then exploded with a loud bang. The light disappeared.

Something hit Shino from behind suddenly. It was thick and damp. He turned to see what it was. A log? It was just a small one, like the ones used for replacement techniques. Then longer ones came. Increasingly long. They branched from a distance and stretched many yards across the shrubby forest. They all made attempts at Shino, but all failing. Taiyou raced from the middle log at amazing speed, one hand full of spectrums of light ready for attacking. He tried to attack Shino physically with that hand, but Shino was too fast.

"Dagger of Bugs!" Shino cried out, stabbing a long, dagger shaped weapon made of insects through Taiyou's unsuspecting chest. Taiyou's eyes widened and let out a low moan. He coughed, and spilled blood on the wet ground. He let out his last dispersed moan as he collapsed to the ground. Shino sighed loudly, and waited for the rain to stop. It never did. But he knew that this was the end. Taiyou was no longer referred to this world. He had succeeded his part in the mission…

Deep back in the forest, a group of persons in long, black robes and hints of red clouds gathered and discussed. A girl's face with purple, dangling hair tied into a ponytail opened her violet purple eyes of wisdom slowly. "Taiyou is dead," she declared. Her eyes were dying back to their original garnet color, an effect from ending her technique.

"Good, then phase one is complete," a hidden, shallow voice said from the other side of the group. He seemed to stand out above the rest of them.

"Oh yeah," the purple haired girl began again. "Uchiha Sasuke is looking for you. He has a grudge to settle."

"Let that be. It does not concern you. Now, let the next phase of our plan begin." He nodded to a shady character beside him. The character was on one knee and nodded. A second later he flashed out of the area.

"You're planning on killing him, aren't you… that Uchiha Sasuke kid?" the garnet eyed girl asked, shrugging with a chilling smirk.

"Only if he gets in our way, yes… we'll have to. But… does it matter either way?" the character replied, fixing his eyes onto the girl, his eyes narrowing.


End file.
